Gear Guide

Downhill Skis Ultimate Buyer’s Guide and Reviews

November 12th, 2014

We are pleased to introduce the 2016 SkiGenie Supernatural Awards buyer’s guide and reviews for downhill skis. As Fall slips away and the first snow starts to blanket the high peaks of ski resorts across the U.S., we have been busy crunching technical specs, collecting ski reviews and researching the best ski equipment available for the upcoming season. With 1000’s of this year’s top ski models and ski gear housed in our ski finder and browse sections, respectively, we are second to none in our quest to accurately match you with the perfect ski equipment. At SkiGenie, we focus on customer centric ski reviews and analysis to identify the key characteristics that determine why a pair of skis is right for you. Let our industry expertise grant you some magic for the mountain. Our selections are organized by Men’s and Women’s downhill skis under the categories powder or backcountry, freeride, all mountain, twin tips and carving.

Men’s Downhill Skis

Men’s Powder & Backcountry Skis

The secret stash is calling. When selecting the best powder skis it is important to consider the type of terrain you plan to ski. All these skis will provide sufficient float on the deepest of powder days but if you are looking for something that transitions well in and out of bounds the lower half of the list (less than 115mm underfoot) is recommended. If you prefer to stick to the big mountain or slip off into the backcountry, go big (in length and width) and try one of the top dogs greater than 115mm.

Men’s Freeride Skis

Freeride ski equipment is the hottest new ski category. As a cross between powder and all mountain skis, the freeride category is a favorite among advanced and expert skiers who have mastered the mountain. These skis are generally 100-110mm underfoot, with a 20-25m radius, torsional stiffness, carving ability and plenty of surface area to float through the powder and cut through the crud. We recommend you choose a size longer than you might with a traditional pair and go with an early rise tip or moderate rocker.

Men’s All Mountain Skis

Tackle the corduroy, ice, tree lines, bumps and occasional powder! If you are planning to do a handful of ski trips this year wouldn’t it be nice to have a new pair of all mountain skis in your quiver? Unless you are lucky enough to live in a 24/7 powder paradise, these all mountain skis can handle just about any conditions mother nature throws at you — and ski it well. For east coasters, try something in the 90mm underfoot range and for west coasters go big or go home and get yourself a pair of ~100mm skis.

Men’s Twin Tip Skis

Looking to boost the tables, slide the rails, ride the pipe and hit natural features? If your a newschooler who likes to land backwards and partake in generally gibberish behavior on the ski slopes then we’ve got your back. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned skier these twin tips allow you to do things other models can’t but still provide high performance on the usual tracks.

Men’s Carving Skis

If you like to cruise groomers, hold on ice and punish the steeps, frontside carving skis will help you capitalize on all that time you spent improving your technique. Carving skis allow you to finish your turns on the steeps and better control your speed without “sliding”. If you ski the resort and like to impress with your turns, these are far superior to many of their all mountain brethren, especially for advanced to expert skiers. More torsional stiffness in the tip and tail generates powerful turns and better performance on the ice and hardpack.

Women’s Downhill Skis

Women’s Powder & Backcountry Skis

This season there are some great ski options for ladies to explore the powder, backcountry, big mountain and much more. Top ski manufacturers now offer not only the latest and greatest in shorter sizes and with a softer flex, but have reshaped the molds and re-engineered the guts of powder skis to cater specifically to the female skier. If you just finished watching Lyndsay Dyer’s Pretty Faces capitalize on the inspiration and get yourself a new pair of sticks.

Women’s Freeride Skis

If you crave traversing the sidecountry and treking to the back bowls as much as you do carving up the groomers, you may want to consider a pair of freeride and off-piste skis for your next adventure. We’ve compiled a list of top women’s ski reviews for this season with widths around the 100mm underfoot range to make every day count.

Women’s All Mountain Skis

Alpine skiing is an outdoor activity and mother nature is unpredictable so out of necessity, all manufacturers market their skis as “x” and “y” but all mountain. However, it is important that you select a true all mountain ski for all the right reasons. What are the right reasons? You travel and ski different resorts often, you only ski a few days a year, you always stick to resort terrain, but you like to go fast, carve big turns, handle icy conditions and occasionally hit the back bowls when the conditions are right. This is the most common skier persona but true all mountain downhill skis for women live near the 85-95mm range underfoot. It depends whether you plan to ski on the east coast or west coast more frequently.

Women’s Carving Skis

Looking to knife the groomers, crush the steeps and arc hard? We present our selection of this year’s award winning women’s carving skis. When choosing the perfect pair of frontside skis you should consider your ability, how much you want to spend and how you plan to use the skis.

Women’s Best All Mountain Downhill Ski Reviews

October 28th, 2014

The hardest thing about choosing skis is not selecting between manufacturers and lengths, it’s simply a skier’s indecisiveness about equipment type. Alpine skiing is an outdoor activity and mother nature is unpredictable so out of necessity, all manufacturers market their skis as “x” and “y” but all mountain. However, it is important that you select a true all mountain ski for all the right reasons. What are the right reasons? You travel and ski different resorts often, you only ski a few days a year, you always stick to resort terrain, but you like to go fast, carve big turns, handle icy conditions and occasionally hit the back bowls if the conditions are right. This is the most common skier persona but it is still important to think about. True all mountain downhill skis for women live near the 85-95mm range underfoot and it often depends if you plan to ski on the east coast or west coast more frequently. We are here to help and this guide will provide you with the best women’s all mountain downhill ski reviews and buyer’s guide selections for the upcoming season. Tackle the resort groomers, eastern ice, western tree lines, steep moguls and occasional powder!

Nordica Nemesis

Downhill Skis that eliminate the lapse that many rockered skis have had on hardpack.

The Nordica Nemesis is recommended for advanced to expert females as a western all mountain ski (40% frontside/60% off-piste). The updated tip and tail design make this year’s Nemesis more maneuverable in the powder and a dependable backcountry ski.

Line Soul Mate 90

The Line Soul Mate 90 is recommended for intermediate adult women looking for a tamer all mountain ski (50% frontside / 50% off-piste). Good for women who like to turn and control their speed, the Soul Mate is responsive and easy to ski, but not recommended for those trying to chase Lyndsay Vonn down the mountain.

Blizzard Black Pearl

Elevate your game on trail and off trail with a ski that is amazing in every condition imaginable.

The Blizzard Black Pearl is recommended for intermediate to advanced adult women as an all mountain freeride ski capable of fast resort skiing and the occasional powder day (70% frontside / 30% off-piste) on the East or West coast. With camber underfoot, the Black Pearl downhill skis command grip on the groomers but comes with a width that allows for all mountain exploration.

Nordica Wild Belle

Women’s equivalent to the NRGy, an all mountain ski with camROCK to increase the versatility.

The Nordica Wild Belle is recommended for intermediate to advanced women looking for a solid all-around ski (75% frontside/25% off-piste). It has a more playful tip and tail shape that allows it to float through powder and variable snow, while absorbing bumps. These shape modifications slightly affect the ski’s ability to grip ice.

Fischer KOA 88

Air Tec Ti for better performance with less weight.

The Fischer KOA 88 is recommended by SkiGenie for advanced to expert level skiers as a one-ski-quiver for all mountain freeski fanatics (55% frontside/45% off-piste). Fischer is known for high performance sidewalls and this ski holds an edge so well it provides confidence for going fast or navigating icy conditions. The addition of Freeski rocker compliments its agility and creates a shorter contact length to ensure that the ski’s turn initiation is effortless.

Rossignol Temptation 84

Heart of a high-performance carving machine with an effortless freeride feel.

The Rossignol Temptation 84 is recommended for intermediate women looking for an all mountain resort ski (80% frontside/20% off-piste). Point these skis downhill and feel confident cruising at speed or controlling your speed on more difficult terrain. Excellent for Western resort corduroy. For the same confident feel, East Coast skiers should consider the Temptation 80.

Atomic Vantage Polarity

Ideal for less-experienced All Mountain ladies looking to cruise the groomers and dabble off-piste.

The Atomic Vantage Polarity is recommended for intermediate adult women skiers as a fun all mountain vehicle, with a frontside trail bias (70% frontside / 30% off-piste). These skis provide better snow contact creating grip and stability while carving turns. Also in the Vantage family, the Elysian and Supreme have wider widths for advanced skiers looking to conquer more adventurous terrain.